Hardwick Research - Usability Testing

Usability Testing
Usability tests are a form of qualitative research conducted to gather feedback concerning the design and functionality of various products and websites. Historically, usability tests have been used to evaluate software, Web sites, ATM machines, printers and telephone menu systems. Usability testing allows for evaluation of the ease of use, intuitiveness of the design and user enjoyment. Information is gathered concerning how individuals navigate through a particular task. Throughout the testing, problem areas are uncovered and potential areas for improvement are identified.

Usability tests are conducted with participants on an individual basis. Typically 12 participants are enough to provide the necessary feedback. A trained moderator oversees the testing. The length of the actual usability test can fluctuate depending on the interface tested and the client's needs. Participants do receive a cash "cooperation fee" to thank them for their participation.

Why Test Usability
There are number of reasons to conduct usability tests. It is expensive to develop a product or website, and it is even more expensive to fix any problems after manufacturing or development. Products or websites can fail if they are not intuitive to use. Also, users do not want to take time out from the task at hand to learn how to use a product. They will instead reject those that are not easy to navigate. Another reason to test is that even the best designers are not representative of the users of their product or website. It is important to speak directly to the user to determine ease of use. And usability is an inexpensive way to get feedback and make improvements before implementation.

There are many advantages to conducting usability testing and no disadvantages that we know of, only cautionary statements about the appropriate use of usability testing. Advantages include:

It is cost effective and quick to complete
Can get user input early in the design process so that work is more focused
Can get results with small number of respondents
Engineers and designers can see where test subjects have problems so allows for quick changes
Helps to prioritize improvements/changes to be made
Provides support for decision making, especially unpopular decisions

As a caution, it is important to note that usability testing results from one project should not be projected to other projects. Thus each project should have its own testing conducted, because different products or websites have different audiences and purposes.